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Donald Trump's Comments on Asia Trade, Alliances


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, March 8, 2016.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, March 8, 2016.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has staked out uncompromising positions on Asia policy that are making foreign policy observers here and overseas uneasy.

Here is a selection of comments Trump has made during interviews, campaign speeches and debates:

China/North Korea

"I mean, you've got this madman playing around with the nukes and it has to end and China has to do it. Now we have power over China because of trade, because they suck us dry, they take our money, they take our jobs, they take our everything, we lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year with China on trade. So, frankly, if we ever stopped it [trade with China], believe me you'd see depression in China like you had never seen a depression before." -- Fox News interview, Jan. 7, 2016

Japan

"If somebody attacks Japan, we have to immediately go and start World War III, okay? If we get attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us. Somehow, that doesn't sound so fair. Does that sound good?" -- Campaign speech in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Dec. 30, 2015

South Korea

"We have 28,000 soldiers on the line in South Korea between the madman [Kim Jong Un] and them. We get practically nothing compared to the cost for this." -- NBC Meet the Press interview, Jan. 10, 2016

Vietnam

"I'm going to bring jobs back from China. I'm going to bring jobs back from Mexico and from Japan, where they're all -- every country throughout the world -- now Vietnam, that's the new one. They are taking our jobs. They are taking our wealth." -- Republican debate, Feb. 13, 2016

Trans-Pacific Partnership

"The deal is insanity. That deal should not be supported and it should not be allowed to happen. ... We are giving away what ultimately is going to be a back door for China. China will take advantage of it -- all the weak points in it, more than anybody else." -- Breitbart News interview, Nov. 9, 2016

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